


Remembrance

by Claire_Star3



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Akechi Goro Has A Palace, Akechi Goro Needs a Hug, Akechi Goro Redemption, Enemies to Lovers, Everyone Needs A Hug, First Kiss, M/M, Memory Loss, Murder, Nightmares, No Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 Spoilers, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Repressed Memories, Sad Ending, Suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:02:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28428990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claire_Star3/pseuds/Claire_Star3
Summary: Ren Amamiya tries to get Akechi to join the Phantom Thieves for real. Things don’t go as he planned, but it is fine because it ends up working out better than he expected. Now all Ren has to do is tell the others, and stop Akechi’s boss. Ren is sure that there will be no problems, and that by the end everyone will be safe and happy. He does wonder why he has a bad feeling about the situation though?Goro Akechi’s plans and goals change thanks to Ren. With his new goals he tries to become a better person, but things do not go as planned. He realizes that sometimes being happy can be the most cruel.The rest of the Phantom Thieves do their best to figure out what is going on, and they eventually learn the cruel truth. They wonder just who it is that is truly to blame for this situation?
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Phantom Thieves of Hearts, Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Kudos: 11





	1. Mistake?

The day is 11/16 there are two days left till the Phantom Thieves will send the calling card, three days till Akechi will betray them and four days till Akechi will kill Ren. The Phantom Thieves have just finished their meeting about their plan for 11/19 and are now going home. Ren asks Futaba to take Morgana with her and to turn off her bugs. Futaba is very suspicious and worried, she tries to question him, but he tells her to trust him and that he has a plan. Futaba does not fully believe him but still agrees, she tells him that he needs to tell her everything tomorrow.

Before the meeting started Ren had asked Akechi to stay after it was over because he has something important to talk to him about, Akechi was a little confused, but agreed to stay after the meeting, and just like he said after the meeting he stays behind.

Ren sits nervously on his couch in the eerily quiet attic of Leblanc. Ren knows that what he is about to do is probably a terrible mistake, every logical thought in his mind is telling him not to go through with this, but he just cannot help himself he has to do this. Akechi who is standing by the window gets tired of the silence and says that if Amamiya has nothing to say then he will be leaving. Ren knows he has to say something and cannot wait anymore. Ren tries to calm himself, he breathes in, and he breathes out he looks away from Akechi and starts.

“Akechi I have really enjoyed these past months with you” he stops to steady himself then he says “I feel a strong connection to you and I like being around you, I know you said you hate me, but I cannot believe that when you seemed to be having so much fun with me.” Ren pauses and looks at Akechi who has been staying quiet, he is frowning and looks mad.

Akechi says “I was acting, so I could investigate the phantom thieves nothing more, if this is all you wanted to talk about then I will be leaving I do not have time for your Brainless sentimentalities, goodbye Amamiya.” Akechi starts to leave still frowning and looking upset, when he is about to go down the stairs Ren speaks.

”Akechi wait we need to talk it is important please listen, I know about your plan, I know you are going to betray the phantom thieves and... kill me.” Akechi stops and stares at Ren for a moment he looks shocked but then his expression quickly turns to hatred. Akechi runs toward Ren grabbing him from the couch and throws him to the floor then he pins him down, Ren tries to get away from Akechi but is unsuccessful.

Akechi laughs maniacally and then says “How did you find out?! How long have you know?! Why?! Why would you tell me this... you could have... you, why?! If you knew why did you tell me?! Tell me why?! Why would you do this to me?! Please tell me, tell me! Did you think I would spare you is that it?! That is it isn’t it... oh Amamiya your idiocy is truly beyond my comprehension, you really are such a fool. I cannot believe you are so stupid, well nothing can be done about that now, Amamiya we both know what has to happen next. Do not blame me it is your own fault you know you should not have said anything, you are a fool. Amamiya there is no way for you to win or get away so do not fight and do not move it will be faster and much more pleasant for everyone that way so, Amamiya no Joker please... die.” Akechi starts to reach for a chisel from Ren’s desk.

Ren out of breath and tired says “Akechi please I just want to talk, I promise I will tell you everything so please lets talk. I still believe in you so please listen to me.” For a second Akechi hesitates but then continues to grab the chisel, and he brings it to Ren’s neck and is about to stab it in, but stops when he sees Ren speak. Ren says “Akechi I have known that you were lying for a long time, but I still wanted to be friends with you to trust you. Even after I learned you were going to kill me I still cared for you, I still wanted to hang out with you and even now I want to be real friends with you... or maybe more. So please Akechi lets talk!“ 

Before Ren can say more Akechi interrupts saying “Shut up! Stop talking just be quiet, stop saying these things! What is wrong with you, how can you still say things like That.” Quieter and sounding Regretful he continues “We can never be friends, we are enemy’s so please... stop dragging this out and... die.” While Akechi is saying this, all Ren can see is that Akechi looks upset, he looks like he might cry. Akechi looks like he’s forcing himself to do this, he looks like he might not actually want to kill Ren, that maybe he did want them to be real friends.

Ren decides to try to get through to him and says, “Akechi if you have anything that is not hatred for me please talk to me. I will listen, and I will not tell the rest of the phantom thieves what happened tonight. So please lets talk and if you still need to kill me I will let you, but just let me talk first, please.” Ren looks for some hope that Akechi will hear him out, he is starting to get worried, but then he hears Akechi speak.

Sounding confused he asks "Why? Please tell me why? Joker I had no idea that you found me out, and I am sure you all knew that, you all had numerous ways you could have tried to stop me, so why did you tell me you knew? I do not understand you I am about to kill you and still say you want to be friends, your insane Joker." When Akechi stops talking Ren says “The reason I told you is that I do not want to deceive you I want to fight together with you, because even if you do not believe me I care about you and I want you to be happy. I know you do not actually want to do this, I know it will not make you happy, so please let’s work together. 

The eerie silence returns and all that can be heard is their breathing. Slowly the chisel moves and Ren closes his eyes waiting for the impact. Surprisingly he feels the chisel leave his neck when he opens his eyes he sees it being thrown across the room toward the stairs. Ren feels Akechi getting off of him, he looks up at his face his expression is blank and hollow. Akechi stands up and goes to sits on the couch.

When Akechi moves away from him, Ren gets up moving slowly and cautiously, and goes over to sit on his bed. Once he is siting on his bed, he looks over at Akechi, he looks like he is contemplating something. The room is silent for a few moments, and Ren wonders if he should say something to break the silence, but then he hears Akechi start to speak.

Melancholically he says “I hate you. No... what I really hate is that I care so much for you. Amamiya why did you have to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves? You are right, I do not hate you, but that does not matter. I truly wish we could have met a few years earlier. Amamiya please, you have to understand that no matter what you say I have to kill you, I have no other choice. Please understand that if I do not kill you then everything I have done for the past two and a half years could be for nothing. I am sorry Amamiya, but I have done far too much to stop now, I cannot risk it, I cannot let all the sacrifices be for nothing.“

He stops for a moment then continues and says “Amamiya you can hate me, no actually please hate me I deserve it, but please know that I truly am sorry, unfortunately I cannot let my personal feeling get in the way, not after all I have done, not when I am so close.“ Akechi looks sorrowful and apologetic, so he really does care about Ren. It makes Ren happy to know that Akechi does not want him dead. Akechi says “Amamiya there really is no other way I am sorry.” Akechi look like he is about to cry, know all Ren wants is to give Akechi a hug. Ren hates whoever is making Akechi suffer like this. Ren decides that he will protect the Phantom Thieves, protect himself and protect Akechi.

Ren says “Akechi there is another way we have a plan to fake my death, so please join us for real, and we can stop whoever is doing this to you.” Akechi —who was looking down— looks up at Ren and says “Whatever Your plan is it will not work, my boss is more powerful than you can imagine, and even if we stop him he still has many supporters and there are also people higher than him the conspiracy is too large we can not win. I am sorry Amamiya, but we will never be free.” Akechi laughs bitterly, and then he starts to cry very quietly.

Ren has no idea what to say. Akechi is so convinced that they will lose that he does not even want to try, but if they all just work together Ren is sure they can win. Ren is snapped out of his thoughts when he hears Akechi start talking. Quietly Akechi says “Alright fine I will consider teaming up for real with you and the others.” Then a little louder Akechi says “I truly do not think we can stop the conspiracy, but I suppose we can at least try to save your life.”

Ren feeling relived says “Thank you Akechi, I am so glad you are willing to team up, if we all work together I am sure we can win.” before Ren can finish Akechi says “Do not be so happy if I think it is impossible to save you I will not hesitate to turn on you and kill you.” Ren starts laughing excitedly and Akechi looks at him like he is craze. Ren says “Akechi that is fine if you have to kill me for your own safety than I do not mind. I already told I want you to be happy, but if you do kill me please let the rest of the phantom thieves live and be safe.” Akechi frowns and says “They will be fine as long as they do not get in my way. Anyway it has gotten late I should be going, goodnight Amamiya I will see you at the next meeting.”

As Akechi start getting up to leave Ren stops him and nervously says “Wait I need to tell you something that is important to me.” Akechi waits and Ren continues “I am sure you probably already figured it out, but I really like you Akechi, I pretty sure I love you. I know this is not the best timing, but I wanted to tell you now just in case I am not able to tell you later sorry.”

The room is silent for what feels like twenty minutes but is probably only two minutes, then Akechi says blushing “Amamiya I do not know why or how you can like me, but it does make me happy to know since I also like you a lot. I think I probably love you too, I have never felt like this before, so I am not sure.” Akechi quiet and bitter adds ”And I am supposed to kill you so that makes everything even more confusing, so I am not really sure? Ren can not believe how adorable Akechi is being. Ren laughs a little and says “That is fine Akechi we can figure it out together." Ren adds almost whispering "Akechi can I hug you?” Akechi looks shocked but not upset, and says okay.

Ren reaches for Akechi his arms going gently around his shoulders pulling him into a hug, to Ren’s surprise Akechi hugs him back his arms going around Ren’s waist and resting his forehead on Ren’s left shoulder, and they stay like that for a while. After some time Ren reaches up to Akechi’s head with his right hand runs it through his hair ( _it is so soft_ ), Akechi freezes for a moment but then relaxes, so Ren continues rubbing his head. Akechi pulls back and looks at Ren’s face both of them are blushing.

After looking at Ren for a few seconds, Akechi asks if he can kiss him, Akechi sees Ren blush more ( _which is cute_ ) and then nod. They both lean in and their lips barely brush, and Akechi pulls back for a moment ( _he is so happy that his first kiss is with Ren_ ) then he moves forward pressing his lips back to Ren’s, they kiss gently and carefully moving their lips together slowly. 

Ren moves his right hand to Akechi’s left cheek cradling it gently, and Akechi moves his left hand to Ren’s hair playing with some of the curls. He makes little noises when Akechi plays with his curls, and it is so cute that Akechi wishes that he could hear it forever. After a few minutes Akechi pulls back he feels a little light-headed, but he is happier than he has been in years, he wonders how he was so ready to kill Ren an hour ago.

Akechi decides that he will save Ren, that he does not want to lose him. Akechi never knew he could be so happy it is _almost_ enough for him to give up on his revenge. Akechi looks at Ren who is blushing his lips are a little red his hair a little messier than usual and looking so adorable. All of it makes Akechi so surprised that he did not realize how he felt earlier, while he is still admiring Ren, he hears him start talking. Ren says “Akechi if you are okay with it can I call you Goro and please call me Ren.” 

Akechi wonders when someone last called him Goro? Thanking about it, he realizes that he actually really wants to hear Ren call him Goro. Akechi says “I am fine with it on the condition that you date me.“ Immediately Ren enthusiastically says “I accept your condition, I would be happy to date you Goro.” Ren pulls Goro in for another hug and kisses his forehead.

Some time later Goro says he has to leave, Ren tells him to stay the night, but, Goro tells Ren that he is worried about the rest of the phantom thieves seeing him here --since they know he is their enemy-- so it is best for him to leave. Ren tells him that he will think of something to tell them until Goro is ready to talk to them. 

After they go back and forth on what is best for a few minutes, Goro gives in and stays the night. That night he sleeps better than he has in a long, long time. The next morning Goro gets up at 4 AM To leave before being seen by anyone. He thinks of waking up Ren to say goodbye, but decides not to when he sees how cute Ren looks sleeping ( _he just can not bring himself to disturb Ren’s cuteness_ ) so instead before he leaves, he puts a note on Ren’s glasses. Goro cannot wait for tonight, he already misses Ren.

Ren wakes up and wonders if everything that happened was a dream. Thankfully while he is still trying to figure out if it was a dream or not he sees a note on his glasses from Goro. The note reads “Good morning Ren you must be wondering where I am, well I left early this morning, so I would not run into Sakura. I am sorry I did not say goodbye, but you were too cute sleeping for me to wake you up. Anyway please meet me at 6 PM at Jazz Jin for are first date, please do not be late. I will see you tonight.” 

After reading the note Ren knows that it was not a dream and so happy, and relived. He is still surprised that Goro feels the same way he does, he never actually though that Goro hated him, but he definitely did not think he loved him. It is a little hard to believe especially since Goro is supposed to kill him, but he is so overjoyed that none of that matters. His plan may not have been the greatest, but it all worked out in the end, so he is glad he tried it. He has no regrets, It was the best choice he ever made.

The day is 11/17 tomorrow the phantom thieves will send the calling card, in two days Goro is supposed to betray them and in three days Goro is supposed to kill Ren. However, Ren does not think this will happen he trusts Goro and is glad he never stopped believing in him. Ren believes that everything will work out, and that there should be no problems. He is sure that by the end of all of this everyone will be happy. Ren wishes he could tell the others about Goro, but he has to wait until after the palace. For now, he can at least look forward to his date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone,
> 
> This is my first fanfic. I don’t know long this fic will be, but I do have a basic outline. Also I do not know when I will be able to update, but I will try to update as soon as possible.
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	2. Lotus

Yesterday Akechi’s life changed in a way he never expected, he accepted his feelings and tho it probably was not the correct choice, he is still happy he chose it. He always tried denying his feeling, he tried to convince himself that what he felt was just jealousy, to have what Ren has, to be like Ren. Of course that is part of it, but there is so much more. From the very start he has felt a connection to Ren, starting from feeling they were similar all the way to falling in love with him. Akechi always felt like he could tell him anything, and that if anyone would accept him it would be Ren. He has probably loved him for a long time, but he only accepted and realized it when Ren told him that he loved him.

He never thought that Ren could love for him, especially when he learned that he is supposed to kill him. Of course there is always the chance that Ren was lying to try to save himself, but Akechi doubts that is the case. It would be stupid and nonsensical for Ren to try save himself that way, especially since the Phantom Thieves already have a plan to save him. Yes, as hard as it is to believe it seems that Ren really does love him.

For as long as he can remember he has wanted to be loved. The orphanages, the foster homes, school, work, ever since his mother’s death no one has truly cared for him, truly loved the real him. He is not even sure his mother truly loved him, if she did then why did she leave him. Ren is the first person to want to know the real him, — not the fake detective prince persona he created — the first person to accept his real self. 

Ren truly is a blessing to him, but... Ren is also a curse. Ren is a curse because now that he knows what it feels like to be loved, to be cared for he has something to lose, and he never wants to lose it. This is his greatest weakness. A weakness that could destroy his plan that he has spent years working on, that he has destroy and sacrificed so much for. Because if he is ever forced to make a choice between Ren and his revenge he would choose Ren. Ren who is his enemy, his rival, his love, his blessing and his curse he would give up anything for Ren.

Today is 11/17 it is 5:29 PM, Akechi is standing in front of Jazz Jin as he waits for Ren. He is nervous this morning he asked Ren to go on a date with him. It was a random idea that he did not really think through. He has never been on a date before, so he has no idea what he is supposed to do. Even tho he is excited to be going on a date with Ren, he is still extremely nervous 

He wants Ren to enjoy himself, but does not know how to do that, He really does not want their first date to be boring or awkward. It was so much easier when all he thought about was killing Ren, caring about someone is hard. As the time ticks by he tries to look up date information online, unfortunately there is nothing for their unique circumstances, he really hopes that Ren will not be upset. At 5:53 PM he sees Ren coming toward him. Ren waves at him, and he waves back. He is still nervous, but he will try his hardest to not let Ren find out.

When Ren arrives they greet each other, and about their days briefly. After they finish talking about that, Akechi takes Ren’s hand in his, and they go inside. Once they get inside they greet Muhen, and then go to their favorite table in the back. Akechi wishes that they came yesterday when there was a live performance. It is unfortunate that is not one today, but that just means that he will have to bring Ren on another date for the next time there is a live performance.

Once they are seated, and have ordered their drinks, Ren updates him on the rest of the Phantom Thieves. He tells him that only Morgana and Futaba know that he talked to him last night, and neither of them know that Goro spent the night. Ren tells him that he talked to Futaba, and convinced her that there is nothing to worry about. He tells him that he still has to talk to Morgana tonight. After Ren finishes updating him, Akechi says that tomorrow they need to go over their plan for the nineteenth and twentieth, but for now they should just enjoy themselves.

Changing the subject Ren asks what Goro’s favorite color is, and after Akechi asks the same question to Ren. They ask each other questions about each other's likes and dislikes for a while. Then Akechi holding Ren’s hand asks when he fell in love with him. Ren goes it a long story of how when they first met — at the TV station — he felt a strange contention to him. Before he can say more Akechi says that he felt the same way, then he tells Ren to continue. 

Ren goes on and tells him how the more they hung out the more he started to like him. He tells him he cannot really think of when exactly he fell in love with him, but he knows for sure that he loved him by the time that they had their duel. Akechi tells him that he also cannot think of when he fell in love with Ren, saying it is hard for him to tell because he was denying it, but it probably started a little after the time that they went to the bathhouse. Ren is surprised that Goro liked him for that long. 

As they talk they hold hands, and anytime Ren thinks no one is looking he kisses Goro — on his hand, on his cheek, on his forehead and on his lips — sweetly. The atmosphere is so peaceful that it feels like nothing bad will ever happen, Akechi wishes this could go on forever. 

After some time they decided that it is getting late, they leave Jazz Jin, and walk around for a while. To Akechi’s surprise, Ren goes and buys him some red and pink roses, ( _guess he will have to learn how to take care of flowers, he will not let Ren’s gift die_ ) it is a little embarrassing, but he is happy.

Ren also gives Akechi a gift, the gift is a cute little lotus charm. He tells Akechi that he got him a lotus charm so that he will always remember him — because his name means lotus — when he looks at it. Akechi decides that his favorite flower is now lotuses. Ren is truly a treasure, Akechi feels that Ren is far too good for him. He knows he does not deserve him, but he loves him too much to give him up. He tells Ren that this is the best gift he has ever been given and that he will treasure it forever. Akechi then apologizes to Ren for not getting him a gift. Ren says that just being with him, and seeing him happy is the best gift.

It starts to get late and Akechi says that they should probably go home. Ren asks that if they can take a picture together before they leave. Akechi says he would be happy to take a picture with Ren. They move to a less crowded area with better lighting, and get ready for the picture. Ren wraps his left arm around Akechi’s waist and pulls him close. Akechi leans Into him and leans his head against Ren’s head. He holds his flowers and charm in his left hand. Once they are ready Ren uses his right hand to take the picture. Then he takes one more where he kisses Goro’s cheek — witch causes Goro to blush adorably — he is very happy.

After the pictures are done Ren sends them to Goro. Once Akechi gets them he looks at them, the first picture is a little blurry and the lighting is not the best, but they are both smiling and look happy. To Akechi’s surprise he sees that in the picture he has a real smile not his fake TV simile, he wonders how long it has been since he last had a real smile. In the second picture he sees Ren is kissing his cheek, — he is glad to have a picture of that — and he is blushing embarrassedly. Akechi loves the pictures, and decides that they are the best pictures that have ever been taken of him.

Once they finish looking at the pictures, they say goodbye to each other, just as Akechi is about to leave, Ren pulls him into a loving hug and then gently kisses him on his lips. When they are done with their kiss, they promise to talk about their plan — to fake Ren’s death — tomorrow, say their goodbyes to each other again, and then go their separate ways.

On his way to his apartment Akechi thinks about the next few days, he is worried. Tomorrow is the day that the Phantom Thieves will send the calling card, and then on the 20th he is supposed to kill Ren. He knows there is nothing for him to worry about, since he has no intention of killing Ren, ( _he hopes Ren knows that_ ) but for some reason he has a bad feeling. All he can to is hope it is nothing.

....

After parting ways with Goro, Ren heads back to Leblanc. He had a great time on the date, and he is glad that Goro had fun. He was a little worried that Goro was just confused, and that he did not actually love him, but thankfully it seems that he loves him. Ren wishes he could tell the rest of the Phantom Thieves that Goro is going to help them, but Goro said that it is safer to tell them after the palace and arrest. He does not like keeping things from them, but he understands why Goro said to wait.

Tomorrow the phantom thieves will send the calling card, and the next day he will get arrested in the palace. After he gets arrested Goro will fake his death and help him escape. And then finally on the 21st Goro will tell Ren and their friends, the truth of what is really going on, they will also get to learn who Goro’s despicable boss and why Goro is working for them. Ren is excited and nervous about learning everything.

Once he makes it back to Leblanc he greets Sojiro and helps him until the café closes. After it closes Sojito says “So Futaba said she’s worried about you. She said that you have been acting strange lately.” Ren replies saying “She’s just misunderstanding what’s going on. There are no problems, and she has nothing to worry about.

Sojiro adds “Listen, I trust you, but you better not be getting involved in something that is worse than what you are already involved in. There are a lot of things out there that you cannot handle, so do not do anything reckless.” He continues “And also, if there really is nothing to worry about than tell your friends about whatever you are doing.” 

Ren says “Boss, I promise that everything is under control, and I am being careful. I am not involved in anything that the others do not already know about, Also I promise that I will tell them everything on the 21st.” Sojiro nods and adds “Good you need to make sure you are careful.” After saying that Sojiro leaves Leblanc. Ren finishes locking up and then goes upstairs. Once he is in the attic he sees Morgana on his bed staring at him with anticipation. Oh... right he promised he would tell him what was going on when he got back.

Yesterday day he had Futaba take Morgana with her, he told them he would explain the next day. This morning before he left Futaba questioned him. He told her that he was talking to Goro —which is true — about the palace. Futaba looked skeptical saying that there was no need for her to take Morgana to turn of her bugs if that was all they talked about. Ren added that they last talked about chess, pool and darts and that Goro gets really passionate about it, so Ren just wanted him to have some privacy. 

Futaba did not look like she believed him, ( _which she obviously did not since she told Sojiro)_ but she did stop questioning him. At that time Morgana also wanted to talk to him, but he said he had to go and that he promised that he would talk to him tonight. Remembering all of that, Ren goes and sits next to Morgana in his bed saying to go ahead and ask him what he wants.

Morgana immediately asks “why did you talk to Akechi last night, what were you really talking to about, and where did you go today.” 

”I already told you and Futaba we were talking about chess, and today I was at Jazz Jin hanging out with him.” explained Ren.

”Why!? Yelled Morgana “Why would you hang out with him? Ren you know he wants to kill you, how can you be so reckless.”

”I am not being reckless Morgana.” Said Ren "I hang out with him all the time if I just stoped he would be suspicious. Listen I know you are worried, but I have everything under control.

“Yeah, but what if Akechi finds out we know, or what if he gets tired of waiting and tries to kill you sooner.” Morgana says worried. 

Ren says “Morgana it is fine, he does not suspect anything, and I do not think he can kill me elsewhere, it seems like he has to kill me in the interrogation room. And even If he did find out, we are sending the calling card tomorrow, so I think he would probably just wait until I get arrested. Anyway Morgana I do not think you do not have to worry. Just trust me okay.” Morgana answers with “Fine I trust you, but please be careful.” Ren adds “I will, thanks Morgana.” Morgana finishes with “sure, now go to sleep.”

After they finish talking Ren gets ready for bed. He is glad that Morgana believe him, he will have to remember to buy him some sushi tomorrow. After he gets in bed Morgana comes over and lays down on his chest, he starts petting him and Morgana purrs it is all so relaxing that he falls straight asleep. 


	3. Planning

The next morning Ren wakes up with Morgana still curled up with him. It makes him happy to know that even tho Morgana was upset he still stayed with him. Ren is very grateful for Morgana, he knows that Morgana is always there for him, and tho some times he can be irritating, he knows that Morgana is just worried about him and trying to help. Ren knows he can trust him and wants to tell him the truth, but he also knows that it is better to wait, so that the plan will not be complicated. He hopes Morgana will not be too upset with him when he tells him the truth about everything that happened with Goro. 

Ren pets Morgan for a while and then tries to get up without waking him. He unfortunately, fails and Morgana wakes up. He feels bad about waking Morgana up, but at least Morgana does not seem upset. Ren is thankful that Morgana does not bring up what they were talking about last night. With them both awake Ren he gets ready for school. He knows that the next few days are going to be busy, and that he and Goro will have a lot to explain to the others.

On his way to school and during school Ren thinks about what he is going to do tonight. He knows that they are having a meeting about sending the calling card, and that after that they will act like they are finished, but really after Goro leaves they will have another meeting about Ren’s ‘death’. Ren wishes he could just tell his friends the truth, ( _he hates having to keep something from them_ ) so they would not have to worry. He really hopes that they will forgive him for keeping the truth from them.

Ren also knows that at some point tonight — after the other meetings — he will need to talk to Goro about their plan for tomorrow. He needs to fully tell Goro about the Phantom Thieves plan so that the plans will not interfere with each other and cause mistakes. Other than the plan Ren knows he should probably ask Goro about his connection to the psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns. 

Ren knows that Goro is probably the culprit. No, he knows Goro is the culprit, but he still wants to ask Goro.  He is not sure how Goro will react,  but he  really hopes Goro will give him an answer  and not just get mad at him. He knows it is  probably better to wait till after they fake his death,  but just in case something goes wrong he wants to know the truth, and he wants to let Goro know that even with him being the culprit he still loves him. He hopes that when the time comes to tell the rest of the Phantom Thieves that they will also hear Goro out.

After school is over Ren tells the others that he has an errand to do and that he will meet them at Leblanc. He wants to buy Morgana some sushi before the meeting. On his way to buy some he runs in to Goro ( _which is not really that surprising since he told him this morning he was going to buy Morgana sushi after school_ ). 

After they all greet each other, Goro asks them what the errand is that Ren said he had to do ( _which Ren knows that Goro already knows_ ), and that he will help them if they want ( _Ren thinks that it is probably because Goro wants some sushi_ ). Even with Ren knowing that Goro is just taking advantage of the situation so that he can get some sushi ( _which is a little annoying since Ren would have gotten him some if he had asked_ ), he can not bring himself to tell Goro no, he loves him too much to do that to him. Ren lets Goro know that he can come with them if he wants, and Goro tells them that he would be happy to go with them on their errand. Ren can see that  Morgana is uncomfortable that Goro is here, — and is probably quietly panicking about the situation that they are now in — but thankfully Morgana does not say anything about it.

The three of them get sushi ( _Ren also gets some for Yusuke_ ), and then they go to Leblanc for the meeting. Now that Morgana had some sushi he is much happier, Ren is glad that he cheered up. After they are finished with everything he needs to buy Morgana sushi more often. He also sees that Goro enjoyed the sushi and makes a mental note to buy Goro lots of sushi in the future. So far Ren has had a good day and hopes that the rest of the day will go just as well.

They arrive at Leblanc and wait for every one else to be ready for the meeting. When Ren sees Yusuke he gives him the sushi that he got for him. Once they are ready to start Ren helps Sojiro clean everything up and close Leblanc once they are finished Sojiro says goodbye and goes home. The meeting goes pretty much how Ren expected it would go and for the most part there were no problems. In the end, it was decided the Makoto would be responsible for delivering the calling card to Sae.   


Afterword, as planned the Thieves act like their meeting is over and pretend to be leaving. When Goro leaves Leblanc Ren tells the others that he wants to say goodbye to Goro and that he has to ask him something. Before they can say anything he quickly goes after Goro. Once Ren caches up to him, and sees that no one followed him he tells Goro that the Phantom Thieves are having another meeting — this one being about Goro — and that after it is over they need to talk about a few things.

Goro thinks for a moment, then agrees to talk afterword. Ren had told Goro the other day that Futaba bugged their phones and let him know that because of that they would not be able to use them for anything important until they told the others that Goro was not their enemy. Goro knowing that they can not use their phones tells Ren that they can meet at his apartment. He lets Ren know that regardless of how late it gets he will be waiting. Goro then gives Ren the directions to his apartment complex. Ren is grateful that Goro is being so helpful and excited to see where Goro lives. Before leaving, Goro gives Ren a quick kiss on his cheek and says goodbye. Ren says that he will see him later and then says goodbye. Once Goro leaves he goes back to Leblanc.

When he returns the others are looking at him with confused and questioning expressions. Ren realizes that to them him going after Goro is unwise and reckless. He did not think about how foolish he must look to the others. He can tell by the way they are looking at him that they are worried and have no confidence in his actions. Ren knows that he needs to come up with an explanation that will convince them that he knows what he is doing, and that they do not need to worry. He hates that he is causing them to worry, especially when there is nothing for them to be worrying about. 

Before he can explain anything about his reason for going after Goro, Makoto asks him why he went after him. He tells them that he is just trying to keep Goro from getting suspicious of them. When they look at him skeptical he elaborates and  tells them that he and Goro always go to Penguin Sniper on Wednesday, and that he was just asking Goro if they would still be going this week. Ren continues to explain that he asked him because Goro said that after the Phantom Thieves disband he was going to distance himself from Ren and not meet him anymore. 

His friends still do not seem convinced, and Makoto asks Ren why he asked Akechi this question today. When he looks confused she adds that is seems suspicious to ask today instead of tomorrow or one of the days closer to Wednesday. Ren explains that he knows that it could be suspicious, but the reason he asked today — ignoring the fact that he is supposed to be dead by Monday — is because he knows that they are going to be busy finishing the palace tomorrow, so it seemed like it would be better and less suspicious to ask today. 

Ren adds that it is also not suspicious to ask him today instead of a day after tomorrow, because at that point the Phantom Thieves are supposed to be disbanded, and as he said earlier, when that happens Goro said he would distance himself from him. Ren finishes by saying that with this information he thought that since not asking at all would be the most suspicious, asking Goro today would be the least suspicious and best option.  To Ren’s relief, Makoto and the others seem to accept his decision, and they stop asking about it. 

With that conversation done the Phantom Thieves have their meeting about their plan for tomorrow. They have been working on their plan for a while and are finishing it today. Ren did not know the full plan, but he learns about it now. He feels like the plan is interesting, and he is impressed by it, but the plan is a little worrying. He can see that there are a lot of ways this plan could go wrong, just thinking about it were Goro is not on his side makes him feel a little scared. He is very relived that Goro is not actually going to try and kill him.

Ren does not tell the others that he is a little worried about their plan, he can see how proud they are if their plan and does not want to upset them. He knows that they worked hard on this plan and — even if he is worried — is still grateful for it. Ren trusts his friends and knows that they would never use this plan if they were not completely confident that it would work. And he also really does not have to worry if their plan does not work since Goro is not actually going to try to kill him. He tells them that he is proud of them, and they finish their meeting. They start getting ready to leave saying that they will see each other tomorrow. They all wish Makoto good luck with giving Sae the calling card, say goodnight and leave.

Once everyone besides Morgana and Futaba have left, Ren tells them that he needs to go get some supplies for tomorrow and will be back later. Morgana says that he will go with him to get the supplies, but Ren tells him that he will be fine and that he will not be out too long. He tells Morgana to just wait with Futaba till he comes back. Futaba looks skeptical and ask him why he does not want Morgana to go with him. Ren says that it is just going to be boring and that it is faster for him to just go alone. They both still look worried, but Ren tell them that he will be fine and to trust him. Not wanting to doubt Ren, Morgana and Futaba agree to let him go alone. They both really hope that Ren is being careful and not secretly doing anything dangerous. They all say that they will see each other later, and say goodbye.

Ren leaves Leblanc and starts heading over to Goro’s apartment. On his way he starts to get a little worried, starting to think that this might be a mistake. He thinks what if this is what Goro wants maybe he never actually cared about Ren and was just pretending to when he found out that the Phantom Thieves knew about him. What if Goro just wants to know their plan, so he can make sure he kills Ren. If that is actually what Goro is planing then if he tells him about their plan he will destroy his chance at surviving.

Ren does not like thinking this, and he hates that he is doubting Goro, but he also knows how good at pretending Goro is, and he knows that is the kind of thing that Goro would do, he really hopes that Goro is not lying him. Even with his uncertainty he still knows that he needs to tell Goro about their plan. He knows that if he does not or if he lies about it then if Goro really is on his side he will destroy Goro’s trust. Ren can not do that to him, he already knows how hard it is for Goro to trust people, and he knows that Goro would see it as a betrayal. All Ren can do is hope that Goro does actually care about him.

Ren arrives at Goro’s apartment complex — which looks nice — and goes to Goro’s apartment that is on the fourth floor — room 404. He is still nervous about everything and just wants to get this over with. He knows that this will be the most important discussion for his — and the Phantom Thieves — safety and success. After steadying himself and gathering his thoughts he knocks on the door to the apartment.

To Ren’s surprise Goro answers the door immediately. Goro says hello and invites him inside. He takes Ren to his living room and asks if Ren wants something to drink. Ren tells him that he does and to just get him whatever is easiest. While Goro gets them something to drink Ren looks around. 

The apartment looks to be about twice the size of Leblanc's attic. He sees that the living room, kitchen and dining room are all connected in the middle of the apartment. He can also see that at the back of the apartment there is a room that is likely Goro’s bedroom and across from it is another room that he assumes is the bathroom. Lastly he can see another room towards the front of the apartment he does not know it is, but thinks that is probably a closet or storage area. Overall he thinks that Goro’s apartment is nice, and he would happily live in an apartment like it.

In the living room he can see that Goro really does not decorate. Other than the furniture — a couch, a TV, a coffee table and, two bookshelves full of books — the rest of the room is empty and does not look like someone lives in it. He sees that there is one decoration that is siting on one of the bookshelves, and surprisingly it is a vase with the flowers that he bought Goro. He even sees that next to them are notes about how to talk care of them.

Ren was not sure that Goro liked them, and he never expected Goro to actually keep them. He just assumed that he would humor him and get rid of them later. He is so happy that Goro actually liked them enough to keep them and finds it adorable that he is trying so hard to take care of them. Even though he is happy about Goro keeping them, other than his gift Goro has no other decorations. So Ren decides that after they stop whoever is controlling Goro he should help him decorate his apartment.

Goro comes back with his drink — which is tea — and sits next to him on the couch. Goro says that he is ready to hear the plan and asks Ren if he is ready. Ren is still worried, bet tells Goro that he is ready, and then he starts to tell Goro about the Phantom Thieves plan. There is no going back now and Ren knows that he will just have to trust Goro. He hopes that the bad feeling that he has will not mean anything. 


End file.
